


astrolabe

by neck_romancer



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Pirate, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Light Bondage, M/M, Misunderstandings, Pirates, Secret Identity, Soulmates, butchering of historical references, secondhand embarrassment because they are both fools, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-08
Updated: 2018-03-08
Packaged: 2019-03-28 20:45:30
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 13,646
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13911888
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/neck_romancer/pseuds/neck_romancer
Summary: A young Duke has been captured by the fiendish pirate, Silvertail.  Yuuri may be a pirate, but he does not condone kidnapping.  He's also got one eye on that 2,000 gold bounty, and the other on his Soul Star.  Maybe this deadly mission will lead him to a generous pay day and his soulmate all at once.





	astrolabe

**Author's Note:**

> Boat disclaimer: I don't know anything about boats or pirates or water. It is my firm belief, in fact, that all three of those things are fake. Sorry for any historical inaccuracies I love you.
> 
> EDIT: I cannot believe I forgot to say this when I uploaded, but huge thank you to katsudonfatale for your incredible betaing!

The legend of the Soul Star was as old as history itself.  Some said that every two souls shared a star.  Some said that your star would guide you to your soul’s mate.

But most people didn’t believe in old fairy tales.  Most people saw a sky full of stars and couldn’t tell one from the other.

Yuuri has spent his whole life looking at the stars.

Yuuri was not most people.

 

-

 

Yuuri paced the length of his quarters while Phichit examined the letter.

“Do you think this is wise, Captain?” Phichit asked, brows furrowed.

“Absolutely not,” Yuuri responded.  He paced some more.

“But we’re still going through with it?”

“Apparently.”

“Yuuri.”

“…”

“ _Yuuri_.”

“We can’t just say no,” Yuuri sighed.  He took the letter back and frowned at it, hoping to somehow rearrange the scribbles into something less daunting.  “It’s a request from Minako, and you know she doesn’t request things lightly.”

“I know but—Silvertail?!”

Yuuri buried his face in his hands.

“We’re all going to die, aren’t we?”

 

\--

 

The most feared man on the seven seas.  Silvertail.  He commanded a ship so silent and beautiful they said it must have risen out of the ocean itself to punish luckless travelers.  His silver pistols were stolen from the Queen’s Navy, which his crew more resembled than the usual bunch of bandy legged scallywags that typically could be found aboard a pirate ship.

Silvertail, the man who, it was said, had tamed the ocean.  The man who could not be—and had never been—beaten in a duel of either pistols or swords.

The man had a bounty on his head.  And Yuuri was going to collect it.

It wasn’t that Yuuri had a death wish per se.  Or not any more than is usual for a pirate.  But when you received a personal request from Okukawa Minako, former Captain of the Hasetsumaru, Yuuri’s mentor and the best pirate Yuuri had ever known, you listened.

The letter read:

_Dearest Yuuri,_

_I am writing to you regarding the urgent matter of the kidnapping of the late Duke of Russo’s only son.  Late last night, the pirate Silvertail and his men broke into the Duke’s home and stole the young lord from his bed._

_Now, Yuuri, I am sure you are asking yourself why this should concern you—or me, for that matter.  You see, the Duchess of Russo is an old friend of mine.  She came to my tavern—a sign of the apocalypse if there ever was one—in complete disarray and begged—a second sign—that I use my contacts to rescue her nephew._

_Yuuri, we are pirates.  We are not in the business of rescuing maidens and young lords.  Yet I know your feelings on kidnapping, and that they are the same as mine.  I know also that family holds a special place in your sentimental heart._

_That is why I am asking you to rescue the young Duke of Russo, and to capture, dead or alive, the man known as Silvertail._

_I would not ask this of you if I did not believe you capable of succeeding with all your limbs intact.  You are the only man for this job, Yuuri, you must believe this.  However, I will not hold it against you should you refuse this request.  Silvertail is a dangerous man.  It is only a foolish hope that I may deliver good news to an old friend that makes me write this letter to you._

_God’s speed be with you._

_Okukawa Minako_

_P.S. To sweeten the pot, there is a 2,000 gold bounty on his head!_

Yuuri’s opinion on kidnapping was this: trading human lives for money was wrong.  

He may be a pirate, he may hold a gun to a wealthy man’s head and pointedly ask for his valuables and gold.  He may have cut a man or two down in the pursuit of piracy.  And sure, he found no problem boarding the vessel of a wealthy governor and taking it for himself—always making sure the previous occupants got into their lifeboats safely and were close enough to shore.  But kidnapping children from their beds was where he drew the line.

Yuuri was a kind man, as far as pirates went.  He’d become a pirate out of necessity, as had nearly everyone in his crew.  They stole only from those who had more than they needed.  They even said please and thank you.

So Yuuri could not condone the actions of Silvertail.  It was a personal disappointment because Yuuri had always modeled the way he handled his piracy after Silvertail and his crew of gentlemanly thieves.  And this was the first he’d ever heard of Silvertail’s involvement in a kidnapping.  It seemed that the man Yuuri used to admire was not the man he’d thought he was.

He had a bone to pick with him, too.  It was Silvertail who’d given Yuuri his accursed nickname Eros, by which he was now known across the seven seas.  Captain Eros.  All because apparently Silvertail, or one of Silvertail’s crewmen, had spotted Yuuri at the Cove after a night of heavy drinking.  Yuuri tended to become…unfit for public company when inebriated.  He’d woken up splayed atop the bar, half naked, with no memories and a new name.

Captain Eros Katsuki.  The name felt like a mocking brand, following Yuuri wherever he sailed.

 _I’m coming for you, Silvertail_ , Yuuri thought, fear and determination fighting for dominance in his gut.   _And I’m taking back my name._

 

-

 

It was easier said than done.  Silvertail’s ship, the Queen’s Devotion (liberated from the Royal Navy), was said to be devilishly fast.  The Hasetsumaru was swift but it stood no chance against the Devotion in a race.  So the only hope was to catch Silvertail unawares.

Luckily, Yuuri happened to know that the Cove was Silvertail’s tavern of choice.  Which meant Yuuri knew where he was going to make port.

“Set sail for Tempest Bay!”

“Aye, Captain!”

Phichit approached him at the helm.  “This’ll be the first time returning to the Bay for you since the Incident.”

“Can you blame me for not wanting to show my face anywhere near the Cove again?”  Yuuri shifted uncomfortably.  “But it’s not what you think.  It’s not that I’ve been avoiding it.”

_It’s just that ever since that night, my Star has been pointing in that direction and I am terrified that I may have met my soulmate while drunk out of my mind and half naked and would really rather hide in a hole for the rest of my life than have that confirmed, thanks very much._

“Aye, Captain,” Phichit rolled his eyes.  “We’ll make port tonight, so get ready for your triumphant return.  You’re a legend there, you know.”

“I know,” Yuuri groaned.

“I wish I’d been there.  They say you danced half naked on the tables with the barmaid.  And then when her father came out to murder you, you charmed him into an Argentinian tango.”

“That’s ridiculous, Phichit, who told you that?”

“The barmaid.”

“Oh god.”

 

-

 

The Hasetsumaru’s deck rocked gently.  Yuuri swayed naturally with it.  The sun had long set, but it was a cloudless night.  At least Yuuri had the stars to guide him.  As long as he could see the stars, he would never lose his way.

He knew all the constellations by name, he could tell the time by them.  He never needed a compass at night when he could see the North Star.

But the star troubling him now was the _other_ North Star.   _His_ star.

It was there just like always, this time twinkling near Orion’s Belt, cold and pale blue, unlike any other star in the sky.   It never stayed in the same spot, defying the laws of nature and logic.  Even Yuuri had difficulty keeping track of where it might be pointing, which had to mean that his mate was well travelled, just like him.  But for the past year, the damned thing would settle in that same spot every now and again, taunting Yuuri with the possibility that his soulmate was at Tempest Bay.  The one place he would really rather not be.

It wasn’t as if he didn’t _want_ to meet his soulmate.  He did.  He’d stared at that star his whole life, dreaming about who he might find under it.

Perhaps not his whole life.  He hadn’t always believed in Soul Stars.  When his parents claimed there was a magic star in the sky that only they could see, Yuuri had thought it only a children’s story.

Then one night, his neighbors Yuuko and Takeshi had insisted they could both see a bright orange star directly over their heads.  Neither Yuuri nor Mari could see it.  And yet, to this day, his childhood playmates claimed the orange star hung above them in the sky every night.  Even though they were now adults, married with children.

But that was the trouble with Soul Stars.  Yuuko and Takeshi had grown up side by side and in one of their countless little moments together, completely by chance, discovered that there was a star that only they could see.  It was a romantic notion, but completely impractical.

Yuuri wanted what they had.  So he’d studied the stars, become a master navigator.  He knew the stars like they were his own family.  And he discovered quickly which one did not belong.   _His_ star.  Blue and strange and unnatural.

And it wasn’t directly overhead, like Yuuko and Takeshi’s or his parents’ were.  It pointed West.  So Yuuri went West, met Minako, and began his journey.  And then the star…moved.  East.  West.  North.  South.  It seemed to be in another position every night.  There was no way Yuuri could keep up.

But now, after all these years, he had a destination.  And he was afraid.

Afraid of what his soulmate would think of him.   Afraid they would be disappointed.  Angry.  Disgusted.

He fervently hoped he was not soul mates with the barmaid.

The other problem, of course, would be actually finding them.  What was he to do, go up to every person on the Bay and ask them if they could see a little blue star?

And if he even got to that point, what if they didn’t believe in soulmates?

Could he handle the disappointment of being so close only to have them slip through his fingers?

Yuuri dragged a hand down his face and stared hopelessly up at the twinkling blue light.

He would have to.  They were going on a rescue mission and this was not the time for Yuuri to be worrying about his love life.  They would go to the Bay, Yuuri would be closer to his soulmate than he’d ever been, and then he and his crew would be walking into their doom when they ambushed Silvertail, the deadliest man on land and sea.

What could go wrong?

 

-

 

It started out well.  After they made port, they scouted out the Devotion.  They took note of how many men were stationed on deck and how many had gone into town for a drink.  The security on the Devotion was unusually lax due to the unspoken cease fire between all pirates who took refuge at the Bay.  But there was also an unspoken rule against kidnapping children, so as far as Yuuri was concerned all other arrangements were null and void.

Phichit, from the docks, called out to the men on board.  He was the distraction.  While they were engaged, Yuuri, Sara, Leo, and Guang Hong took a row boat to the aft of the ship.  As quiet as the night, they scaled their way up the stern.  When they reached the balcony to the captain’s quarters, Yuuri signaled to the others that he would go first.

He eased himself over the balcony railing, pressing his body close to the ship wall.  Then he peeked through the glass doors and the sight that greeted him stole his breath away.

There was a man clad in only a delicate silken robe.  He sat before a vanity, carefully brushing his long silver hair with an ornate brush.  Yuuri caught a glimpse of his face in the mirror—pale skin, blue eyes.  He was beautiful.  Not a child, then.

His eyes met Yuuri’s in the mirror.  They widened in surprise.  Yuuri held a finger to his lips.  The other man’s brows rose but he kept silent, watching Yuuri warily through the mirror as he opened the glass door.

Quietly, he stepped inside, “Do not be alarmed.  I’m here to rescue you, your Dukeship.”

The young Duke blinked.  “I…see.”  He turned around in his seat to face Yuuri fully, setting down the hairbrush.  He seemed to study Yuuri for a long moment before smiling.  “I wasn’t aware that rescuing hostages was within the purview of a wanted pirate, Captain Eros.”

Yuuri blushed.  “Just Yuuri will do.  Wait you—you know me?”

The Duke tilted his head.  His silken robe slipped artfully down one shoulder to expose his collarbone.  Yuuri swallowed.

“Your exploits are known far and wide, Mr. Katsuki—ah, pardon me— _Yuuri_ ,” the Duke all but purred.  “You’ve made a name for yourself.  Almost as infamous a name as Silvertail himself.”

“Speaking of, do you know where he is?”

The Duke tapped a finger to his lips in thought.  “I believe he said he was going into town for a night of drunken debauchery.  He shan’t be back any time soon.”

“Erm…that’s good.  You are…awfully calm for someone in your position.  Are you not afraid?”

“One mustn’t show fear in the face of one’s captors,” the Duke said solemnly.  “But to be perfectly frank, I have little to fear now that you are here.  My name is Viktor, by the way.”

Yuuri was saved from having to respond by a commotion outside the door.  There was shouting and the sound of pounding footsteps getting closer.  

They’d been spotted.

The door to the cabin burst open and three armed men pushed through.  At the same time, Sarah and Guang Hong crashed into the room through the balcony, shouting, “It’s time to go!”

There was a second’s pause as they all looked at each other, Yuuri and Viktor standing in the middle.  Then Guang Hong pulled his pistol and fired above the heads of the men, and everyone ducked for cover. Yuuri pulled Viktor with him behind the bed, on the side closest to the balcony.  Everyone was shouting and the cabin filled with the scent of gunpowder.  Yuuri poked his head out to fire a few rounds himself.  He didn’t hit anyone, but he spooked a young blond boy who’d been advancing, cutlass in hand with a fierce expression, back behind his own cover.

“Yuuri, this way!”

Sara released a volley of shots that sent Silvertail’s men ducking behind any surface they could find.  Yuuri seized the opportunity to grab Viktor and run.  They went out onto the balcony, broken glass crunching under their feet.  No chance of climbing down without being caught.  There was no other choice.

“We have to jump!” Yuuri shouted over the sound of gunfire.  Viktor’s eyes widened, but he nodded.  He helped Viktor climb over the railing and then climbed over himself, balancing on the edge with his arms braced behind him.  It was a long way down.  Not too long that they couldn’t walk away after, but long enough to hurt.  

“On three!  One.  Two.  Three!”

They jumped.

 

-

 

By some miracle they managed to escape to.  They returned to their ship, setting out to sea.  Guang Hong was sent to the infirmary where Seung Gil had to fish a bullet out of his arm, but otherwise, they’d managed to steal the hostage right out from under Silvertail’s nose relatively unscathed.  

But that was the easy part.  The next part would be war.

“How are your feet?” Yuuri asked, setting down a bowl of hot soup for his new guest.  They were in his quarters, where he’d offered the Duke a change of clothes.

Viktor grinned, wiggling his bandaged toes.  “Perfectly fine, all things considered.”  He’d been barefoot, when they’d made their escape and had cut himself on some glass.  “I can’t thank you enough for rescuing me.”

“It was nothing.”

“Hardly,” Viktor’s gaze was shrewd.  “But I’m still perplexed.  Why on Earth would a fearsome pirate trouble himself with the rescue of a nobleman?  And at such great risk to himself and his crew, no less.”

Yuuri met Viktor square in the eye.  “I do not condone kidnapping, your lordship.  It is…indecent.”

“More indecent than piracy?”

“Yes.”

Viktor’s laughter was like the chime of bells.  “You are a strange one, aren’t you, Mr. Eros?”

“Please, just Yuuri.”

“Hm.  The name Eros makes you uncomfortable.  Why?”

Yuuri pushed around the soup in his own bowl.  “It’s, ah, it’s an embarrassing story.”

Viktor propped his elbows up on the table and rested his face in his hands, the picture of an attentive listener.  Yuuri chuckled and relented.

“I am a terrible drunk.  When I get too deep into my cups I tend to…do things.  Embarrassing, inappropriate-”

“-erotic?”

“E-erotic, uh, yes.  Things.  And I’ve made somewhat of a reputation for myself in…every drinking establishment known to harbor pirates.  Everywhere I go I’m presented with free drinks, and it would be rude to refuse so...”

“So you get blindingly drunk and proceed to make an erotic spectacle of yourself?”

Yuuri could feel his face burning.  “Basically, yes.”  He sighed.  “The worst part is I can never remember what I did in the morning.”

Viktor choked on the spoonful of soup he’d delicately taken.  Between coughs, he said, “You remember nothing?  Absolutely nothing of what takes place in the night?”  Yuuri shook his head and Viktor’s expression turned contemplative.  “That is...very interesting.”

“I get it from my father, he’s a terrible drunk.”

“Oh? Tell me about your family.”

And so they talked.  Yuuri told Viktor about his parents and his sister, his two friends and their triplets.  He told him about Minako and his first pirate adventure.  In return, Viktor told him about his beloved pet poodle, his late parents, his uncle who was like a father to him... They spoke until Viktor began to yawn.

“I apologize, your lordship.  I’ve kept you up.  You should retire—here, take my bed.”

“Yuuri, you are too kind, but where will you sleep?”

“I can find a spare bed in the crew’s quarters, don’t worry about me.”

Viktor sat on the bed.  He looked up at Yuuri from under thick silver lashes.  “Or...you could stay?”

Yuuri’s breath stuttered.   _Is he implying-  He can’t actually want-_

“I…” Yuuri hesitated, blood rushing to his face and other places.  Viktor treated him with an unmistakably heated stare.  “Well—good night!”

Yuuri ran.

 

-

 

“Yuuri.”

“Hm?”

“Why are you hiding from the Duke of Russo?”

“Am not,” Yuuri said from his spot beneath their table in the galley where they were having breakfast.

Phichit shook his head.  Then he grinned.  “Oh, hi, Viktor!”

“Phichit!” Yuuri hissed.

“Just kidding!” he laughed.  “Ow!  Hey, it’s not my foot’s fault that you’re acting strange.  Did something happen last night?”

“No!”

“Or is the trouble that something _didn’t_ happen?”  Phichit waggled his eyebrows, for which Yuuri slapped him again on the leg.

“ _No._  Of course not.  Why would you suggest such a rude and improper thing?”

Phichit’s jaw dropped.  “Oh my god.  Something _did_ happen!”

Yuuri groaned.

“You must tell me everything!”

Yuuri fought with himself for a moment before relenting.  He did need advice, after all.

“…and then I ran away and today I’m hiding,” Yuuri finished.

Phichit made a valiant effort not to laugh, which Yuuri appreciated.  “Okay, so you’re in a bit of an awkward situation.  But are you not making it worse by hiding?  You will have to see him eventually, he’s a guest on your ship.”

His first mate made a good point.  Yuuri ignored it.  “What’s he doing now?”

“He seems to be regaling JJ and Isabella with a very amusing story, if their tears of laughter are any indication.  Why don’t we join them?”

“Pass me the cheese.”

Phichit sighed and passed Yuuri the cheese.

 

-

 

Yuuri was on the poop deck when Viktor found him.

“Ah, so this is where you’ve been hiding.”

Yuuri squawked in a manner unbefitting the captain of a pirate ship.  “Viktor!  Good morning.”

Viktor looked at him sadly.  “Yuuri, I must apologize for my behavior.  Clearly my advances last night were unwanted and have caused you much discomfort.”

It was Viktor’s palpable regret that made Yuuri speak without thinking.  “It wasn’t unwanted.”

 _Ah,_ Yuuri’s horrified brain thought, _the ocean waves look so inviting.  I’ll just jump right in, shall I?_

The spark came back to Viktor’s eyes, so that was something at least.  “Really?”

“No!  I mean, yes, but no—that is to say-“

Viktor’s grin could rival the sun.  “I know!  Why don’t you give me a tour around the ship?”  And before Yuuri knew what was happening, Viktor’s arm was in his and he was introducing him to his crew, all of whom seemed very taken with him already.

“You fit in surprisingly well on a pirate ship, your grace,” Yuuri mused.

“Please, call me Viktor.”

“Viktor it is, then.”

Phichit and Sara took over his navigation duties while he showed Viktor around the ship.  Afterward, Viktor invited him to dinner in Yuuri’s quarters.  Yuuri didn’t mention that he hardly needed to be invited to his own room, but graciously accepted the invitation anyway.

They talked more over dinner.

“I’ve always wanted a dog,” Yuuri said.

Viktor’s eyes lit up in the way that told Yuuri he was about to go on a tangent about his poodle, Makkachin.  Yuuri found that he loved the way Viktor’s entire being seemed to come alive in these moments.

“You should get one!  You know, a dog can come with you on your ship.  They can even go on long trips if they take to the sea well enough.  Can I recommend a poodle?  They are excellent swimmers.”

“Bred for hunting water fowl, I know.  Does Makkachin hunt?”

Viktor laughed.  “Makkachin couldn’t hurt a fly.  She’s more likely to play in the water with the birds than hunt one down.”

Yuuri smiled at the image.  “I’d love to meet her when we return you home.”

Viktor smiled back, but was subdued.  “I would really like for you to meet her, too.”

They ate in silence for a few moments.  Yuuri fretted that maybe he’d said something inappropriate.

“Of course, I wasn’t suggesting that I would be invited to your home,” Yuuri stammered, heart sinking.  “That would be unheard of.  I am a pirate.  You’re a Duke.  I would not be welcome, certainly.”

Viktor was shaking his head before Yuuri could finish speaking.  “Yuuri, you rescued me.”

“But-“

“You saved me and you believe I would not invite you into my home?”

Yuuri fiddled with his utensils.  “Well, I mean…yes?”

Viktor huffed.  “Yuuri, I would not care whether you were a pirate or a prince.  I would not invite someone to keep me company unless I truly liked them and I like _you_.”

Yuuri’s face heated.  “Y-you like me?”

Viktor’s eyes twinkled with amusement.  “I truly do.  And I hope,” Viktor looked uncharacteristically uncertain as he spoke, “I hope that you’ve come to like me as well.”

It took all of Yuuri’s courage to say, “I…I have.”

Of _course_ he had.  Viktor was beautiful.  Not only that, Viktor was _kind._  He was friendly and generous.  He made the crew laugh—he made _Yuuri_ laugh.  He offered to help with menial tasks around the ship and wasn’t half bad at them.  He listened to Yuuri’s stories of his family with rapt attention.  His laughter was like bells.  And he loved his dog more than anything in the world.  To say that Yuuri was beginning to like him was an understatement.

After dinner, they bid each other good night.  Viktor didn’t extend an invitation to stay this time, though Yuuri could tell he wanted to.  Yuuri told himself on the way back to the crew’s quarters that he was not disappointed.

 

-

The next day started out in much the same way, sans the hiding.  Viktor accompanied Yuuri on his morning duties.  They ate breakfast with Phichit, who regaled Viktor with many embarrassing anecdotes.

“Did I tell you about the time Yuuri and I stowed away on a French ship that sailed all the way to the Caribbean?  We pretended we could speak French when in reality the only things we knew how to say were, ‘long live France,’ and the lyrics to Frère Jacques.”

Viktor laughed long and loud.  Yuuri was beginning to categorize Viktor’s laughs in his mind.  There was the dainty giggle that he gave when he was being coy.  There was that twinkling, bell like laugh he made when something made him happy.  There was the quiet chuckle, formed under the breath like a secret.  And then there was this loud, boisterous laugh that only came when Viktor was truly amused, that seemed to surprise even him with its loudness.  It was the rarest and Yuuri’s favorite.   To see him unwind in such a way here, with his first mate, on the ship he called home, filled him with a warmth he could not describe.

After breakfast, Viktor followed him to the navigation room, where Yuuri showed him the maps and star charts.

“Do you know what this one is called?” Yuuri asked, pointing to Ursa Minor.

Viktor twirled a lock of silver hair around a finger.  “What do I get as a prize if I name it?”

Yuuri laughed, “You can have anything you want if you can name all of them,” he waved at the enormous stellar map.

“Anything I want?  Okay,” and then Viktor proceeded to name Ursa Minor, Major, and every other constellation on Yuuri’s chart.

Yuuri was impressed.  “I should’ve expected nothing less from a Duke.”

Viktor perched himself on the table, directly in front of where Yuuri stood.  “And my prize?”

Viktor was close enough that Yuuri could see there was a smattering of pale freckles across the bridge of his nose.  He was so caught up in admiring the other man’s skin that he almost forgot to answer the question.  “I did say anything you want.”

“So you did.”  Viktor looked into his eyes for a long moment and Yuuri found he could not look away.  Viktor’s eyes were an icy blue, but were so far from cold.  They were open, yet hesitant.  Inviting, yet uncertain.

Yuuri swayed closer without meaning to.  “What is it you want, Viktor?”

Viktor brought a finely trembling hand up to Yuuri’s cheek.  “This,” he said and leaned in.

Yuuri met him halfway.   The kiss started out gentle, a tentative meeting of dry lips.  But then Viktor surged forward and sucked on Yuuri’s bottom lip.  Yuuri moaned and tangled both his hands in Viktor’s long hair, as he’d been wanting to do for so long.

Viktor grabbed ahold of Yuuri’s belt and pulled him closer until Yuuri was flush against the table, Viktor’s legs wrapped around his waist.  Viktor slid his hands up Yuuri’s back, sending a shiver down his spine.  Yuuri swiped a tongue across Viktor’s slick lips.  They opened for him, and then he was licking into wet heat.  They both groaned.

They kissed until Yuuri’s jaw hurt.  They kissed until their hands were buried beneath each other’s shirts, until Yuuri’s belt was undone and Viktor’s hair had fallen out of its neat tie.  They kissed until Viktor pulled away abruptly, hands on Yuuri’s chest to halt him when he tried to follow.

“I think,” Viktor panted, cheeks pink, lips kissed swollen and red.  “There are benefits to be found in waiting.”

Yuuri tried not to let his disappointment show as he pulled back.  He stayed close enough that he didn’t lose the sweet contact of Viktor’s hands, one on his chest, the other sliding up his neck in a most tempting manner.  “You wish to wait?”

Viktor shook his head, “Not because it’s what I want.  If you’ve come to know me at all, you know I tend to jump into things head-first.  But you’re not like that, Yuuri.”  Viktor pressed a sweet kiss to Yuuri’s lips and drew away.  “When you ran that first night, I knew that I would wait.  That you were worth the wait.”

In that moment, Yuuri understood that he wasn’t quite ready either.  There was something here.  Something more than a one night stand with a stranger.  There was something that needed to be nurtured, to be cared for, something Yuuri desperately wanted more than anything.

They kissed again, chaste kisses that held the promise for more.

 

-

 

For the next two days, they spent the most of their mornings walking about the ship, ducking into corners and alcoves here and there for more kisses.  On their fourth day at sea, the cook, Celestino, caught them making out in the pantry, so they decided to stay up on deck where the sea air cleared their heads.

Viktor stayed by Yuuri’s side as he gave orders to the crew.  Yuuri explained to him the workings of the ship, naming each part and its function.  The others threw encouraging winks Yuuri’s way.  He supposed he should make an effort to not be holding Viktor’s hand all around the ship but...that would require letting go of Viktor’s hand.

As they roamed the deck, Yuuri tried not to stare too obviously at his companion.  But the man was just so striking.  The sunlight created an ethereal halo around his silver hair, and he looked so at home on Yuuri’s ship, as if he’d always been there.  Yuuri wondered what Viktor could possibly see in _him_.  

Perhaps this was all a reaction to the dangerous situation they were in.  Simple gratitude for saving his life.  The thought shot through Yuuri’s heart like a bullet, but it was the only one that made sense.

After all, what future could a man of wealth and status want with a pirate?

“What are you thinking about?” Viktor murmured, brushing a stray lock of Yuuri’s hair out of his eyes.

“Nothing.  It’s just.  Soon you will return to your life and I to mine.  Our worlds are so different.  Too different.”

Viktor looked away.  “Perhaps they are not as different as they seem.”

“What do you mean?” Yuuri asked. Viktor was biting his lip, looking torn.  “Viktor?”

When Viktor looked at him again it was with a pleading expression Yuuri could not comprehend.  “Yuuri, I-”

“Captain!  You’re needed at the helm!” shouted Leo from above.  Yuuri cursed, apologized to Viktor, and rushed off to solve whatever crisis required him.  When he was finally able to get away, he found Viktor in the same spot he’d left him, staring out at the sea with a serious expression.

“Viktor?  I...is everything alright?”

Viktor smiled and held out his arm for Yuuri to take.  “Come watch the ocean with me, Yuuri.”

As they stood, arm in arm, watching the rolling waves, Viktor rested his head on Yuuri’s and said, “I hope I will have been worth the wait, too.”

 

-

 

They sat together on the stairs of the main deck, settling in to watch the sunset.

“When I was young,” Viktor was saying, “I always used to sit by the shore and listen to the gulls crying.  I always loved the sea.”

“Me too.”

“My uncle was a sailor.  He used to take me up on his boat with him on his trips.  I thought they were marvelous adventures, though it was only a merchant ship.  Well, it was a merchant ship at the time.  Not many people know that my uncle, former husband of Duchess Lilia III, turned to pirating.”

Yuuri’s jaw dropped.  “You’re lying.”

Viktor laughed, “I promise you!  Have you ever heard of Yakov the Red?”

“Don’t tell me...”

“That’s him!  People think he’s called Red because of the blood he’s spilled, but in reality it was because of how red his complexion would get when he shouted at his first mate.”

Yuuri laughed with him.  “This is scandalous, why have I never heard of it?”

Viktor held up a finger.  “Ah, because it is scandalous.  As far as anyone is concerned, the Duchess Lilia has never had a low-born husband named Yakov who ran off to sea many years ago to be a pirate.”

“I feel sorry for Lilia.”

“She would have gone with him if she didn’t love the ballet too much to leave the Royal Theatre behind.”

“Is that why you weren’t frightened?” Yuuri asked, watching the way the setting sun cast a pink glow over Viktor’s features.  “When you were being held hostage by Silvertail?”

Viktor shrugged, looking away.  “I suppose I am simply unafraid of pirates.”

“You should be more wary, pirates are dangerous.”

“Not you.  Or at least, not to me.”

Yuuri ducked his head, unable to argue with that.  “Still, Silvertail is a dangerous man.  You should fear him.”

“I should say the same to you,” Viktor lay a hand on Yuuri’s, gaze searching, “Tell me, what on Earth made you go against such a fearsome person?  You must know that he’ll be coming for you next.”

“I already told you that I don’t condone kidnapping, but that wasn’t the only reason.  I suppose...maybe some part of me wanted to challenge him.  We’ve never met, but he was a bit of a role model for me, you see.  Which sounds strange, I know, a pirate having a role model, but...I always admired him.  He seemed...almost noble.  He left people alive when he could, he always stuck to the Code.  He was a pirate with honor.

“But then this happened.  He stole you from your home, and that may not be against the Pirate’s Code, but it’s against mine.  And I’d thought it was against his, too.”

“You were disappointed in him,” Viktor guessed.

“Yes.  Yes I suppose I was.  But it’s not only that.  You see, Silvertail was the one who gave me the name Eros.  He was there, at the Cove, the same night I was and...well, I can’t remember what happened but I can guess.  And when I found out what people were calling me and why, I felt like he was...laughing at me.  Like he saw me as a joke, not as an equal, and I-”

“That’s not true!” Viktor exclaimed.  “I mean to say, I’m sure that’s not what he meant by the name.  Eros is the god of love, of passion.”

“Well, it’s not exactly a suitable name for a pirate, is it?”

“No...no, I suppose not.  And now that I know you, I can see that in many ways it was not a suitable name for you, either.”  Viktor’s solemn expression morphed into a playful leer.  “But in others, I think it’s perfectly suited.”

Yuuri coughed.  “A-anyway--Minako, that’s my mentor, she’s a pirate, too--though not anymore--she sent me a request from Duchess Lilia to rescue you and bring in Silvertail dead or alive.  For a substantial reward.”

Viktor seemed amused.  “Lilia did?  Hm.  And you’re hoping to collect this bounty on Silvertail’s head?”

“Yes?” Yuuri was dismayed at the way his answer sounded like a question and tried again.  “Yes.  I _will_ get the better of Silvertail.  No man is unbeatable.”

Viktor was quiet for a long moment, staring at the darkening sky.  “Yuuri,” he finally said quietly.  “Do you hate Silvertail?”

Did he?  Yuuri had to think about it.  He was disappointed in Silvertail, that was certain, and the thought of anyone touching Viktor with ill intent made Yuuri’s blood turn to fire.  But Viktor did not seem as if he was treated poorly, nor did he seem to hold a grudge against the man who’d taken him.  That was the deciding factor for Yuuri.  The minute Silvertail harmed a hair on Viktor’s head, Yuuri would make it his life’s mission to seek revenge.  But until then...

“No,” he answered.  “I can’t hate a man I don’t even know.  I will...try to take him in alive if I can.”

Viktor shook his head ruefully, but he looked relieved.  “No one has ever defeated him and you hope to take him alive?  Well, if anyone can do it, I know it will be you.  What will you do with the money?”

They spoke until the first stars began to shine in the sky.  Viktor and Yuuri took turns naming constellations as they appeared.

“Cassiopeia.”

“Delphinus.”

“Sagittarius.”

“Leo.”

“Viktor, you can’t just point at Leo while he’s swabbing the deck and think I won’t notice.”

“You never said Leo was out of bounds.”

Yuuri watched Viktor trace the shape of Orion with a finger and thought, _I want this moment to last forever_.

“Which one is the North Star, Yuuri?” Viktor asked, though Yuuri knew full well that he didn’t need to.

“Do you see the Big Dipper?  The North Star is right...” Yuuri’s voice caught in his throat.  As he’d looked for Polaris, his eyes cast about the sky looking for _his_ star, as he usually did on a clear night like this.  It wasn’t in the position that pointed to the Bay.  But it wasn’t anywhere else.  Not by Orion’s Belt, not by the Big Dipper.  It wasn’t South, or North, or West, or East.

It was directly above them, shining more brilliantly than ever.

Directly above them.  In the middle of the ocean where no other soul was around save for Yuuri and his crew.  

And Viktor.

“Do you...do you see it, Yuuri?  The blue star?”

Yuuri tore his gaze away from his Soul Star and stared, wide eyed, at Viktor who was looking at him…looking at him with tears in his eyes.

_“Do you see it, Yuuri?”_

Blinking back his own tears, Yuuri breathed.  “I’ve always seen it.  Always.   _Viktor_ -“

Viktor’s mouth was on his in an instant.  He licked into Yuuri’s mouth and Yuuri met him stroke for stroke.  The kiss was frantic, searching.  When they stopped for breath, Yuuri found that Viktor was in his lap and his own hands were under Viktor’s shirt.  

Through the fog of want, Yuuri heard Leo on the other side of the deck singing a sea shanty.

“Not here,” he whispered against Viktor’s lips.  Viktor nodded, clambering off Yuuri’s lap.  They kissed all the way to Yuuri’s quarters.  Once they were inside, Yuuri pushed Viktor against the door and attacked his pale neck, hands fumbling with the ties of his shirt.  Viktor moaned and the sound went directly to Yuuri’s cock.  He was half hard already and couldn’t stop himself from grinding against the leg Viktor pushed between his.  He could feel an answering hardness on his own thigh where Viktor was also looking for some friction.

They stumbled to the bed, shirts coming off and finding new homes on Yuuri’s floor.  Yuuri fell on the bed first.  Viktor crawled on top of him, hair wild, eyes burning with want.

“What,” Yuuri panted, “happened to waiting?”

“Do _you_ want to wait?”

“ _No_.”

“Hang waiting,” Viktor growled.  He sank down, pressing his bare chest to Yuuri’s.  Yuuri bit his lip at the feeling of skin on skin.  Goosebumps raised on his arms as Viktor trailed his hands up, up to his wrists, holding them above his head.  They kissed again, lips, tongues, teeth meeting in a confusing, wonderful cacophony.  As they kissed, Viktor began to rub his hardness against Yuuri’s.  Yuuri groaned and eagerly met his thrusts.  Viktor broke away from the kiss to bite at Yuuri’s neck.

“Viktor...ah...ah...”

Viktor wasn’t holding him down too tightly, he could push him off if he wanted.  But Yuuri didn’t want to.  Being held down, being at Viktor’s mercy like this… He moaned.

“Uh...god, Viktor...”

“Yes...ah...Yuuri...you’re so good, love, so good...”

Viktor kissed down his neck to his chest.  At the same time, his hands left Yuuri’s to attend to his belt.  Yuuri whined at the sudden freedom and Viktor chuckled.

“My, my, you do like being held down.  Not to worry, I’m going to take care of you.”

Viktor pressed a kiss to the center of Yuuri’s chest and slid off his belt.  Then he sat up on his knees and looped the belt around Yuuri’s wrists, using it to tie him to the headboard.  Yuuri moaned.

“God, Viktor, _touch_ me.”

“I am at your service, Captain.”

Viktor was true to his word, worshiping Yuuri’s chest with tongue and teeth.  He lavished Yuuri’s nipples with attention and Yuuri thrust up in frustration.  He needed more.  He moaned and begged as Viktor bit his way down Yuuri’s torso, down, down, down...  He was all the way to Yuuri’s crotch now and Yuuri was lightheaded.

“ _Please._ ”

“As you wish,” Viktor grinned at him, face above Yuuri’s bulge.  Yuuri would remember that image for the rest of his life.   Then Viktor lowered his mouth on Yuuri’s member, sucking at it through the cloth of Yuuri’s trousers.  Yuuri groaned.  It was so erotic, but at the same time not enough, not enough.

Viktor mouthed Yuuri through his clothes until he was so hard that the tip of his cock was peeking through the top of his underthings.  Viktor groaned, one hand disappearing beneath himself.  He worked his mouth up the clothed shaft until he got to the naked tip.  He bathed it a few times with his tongue, and Yuuri’s cock twitched as he moaned for more, hands pulling against his restraints.

Finally, Viktor took the tip into his mouth, pushing down Yuuri’s trousers and underwear.  Yuuri hid his face in his arm to muffle his cries and Viktor pulled off with a frown.

“No, I want to hear you,” he commanded, and Yuuri was all too happy to obey.  He whined and gasped as Viktor bobbed up and down on his cock, swirling his tongue around the head after every pass.  By god, he was good at this.  He thrust up into the wet heat, following the rhythm of Viktor’s movements.  He babbled nonsense, his mind full of nothing but _Viktor Viktor Viktor_ and _please please please._ For a while the only sounds in the room were the wet slurp of Viktor’s mouth on Yuuri’s cock, and Yuuri’s pleading moans.  When Viktor let out a moan of his own, loud and needy, the vibrations tore through Yuuri and he could feel the pressure building until he could hold back no more.

“Viktor—I’m-“ he tried to warn, but Viktor only sank lower.  Yuuri shouted Viktor’s name when he came, nearly sobbing as he felt Viktor swallowing around his cock.  When the blinding pleasure subsided, he lay there in sated lassitude, his body melting into the bed.  But there was still something missing.

“Viktor, need you.  Let me...let me...”

Viktor was sitting on Yuuri’s lap, pumping his cock.  His hand was a blur and he looked wrecked—panting, hair a mess, eyes wild, lips completely swollen and coated with Yuuri’s cum.  And Yuuri _wanted_...he wanted...

Viktor looked uncertain.  “Do you want to...?”

Yuuri nodded his head and moaned, “Yes, yes, let me...”

Viktor walked up the bed on his knees until his was kneeling over Yuuri’s face.  Yuuri strained his neck, but couldn’t reach his prize on his own.  With a broken groan, Viktor guided his cock past Yuuri’s eager lips.  Yuuri massaged the head with the flat of his tongue, relishing the salty, bitter taste of Viktor’s precum.  Viktor shuddered and began to thrust.  Yuuri took as much as he could, but Viktor’s cock was long and he could only fit around so much of it.  God, what would it be like inside him, he wondered.

“Ah, ah, ah...Yuuri...I lo...I love...ah!”

With a gasp, Viktor was coming.  Yuuri did his best to swallow everything down, but a few dribbles leaked down his chin.  He sucked on Viktor’s twitching member until it drew away.  Yuuri watched his lover struggle for breath above him.  He met his dazed stare and licked the remaining cum from his lips.  Viktor moaned loudly.

“You’re going to be the death of me.  Come here.”  

With that, Viktor undid the bindings around Yuuri’s wrists and pulled him close.  They fit together perfectly, Yuuri nuzzling Viktor’s neck as he fought to catch his breath.  They were both still in their trousers, but neither had the energy or the will to take them off.  Yuuri pulled the covers over both of them, and tilted his head up for a kiss.  They kissed slowly.

“You’re my soul mate,” Yuuri said in wonder when they finally parted.

Viktor’s eyes were soft and he said, “I finally found you.”

When they finally fell asleep, they did so in each others’ arms.

 

-

 

Yuuri woke slowly.  Memories of the night before made him smile as he opened his eyes.  But what he saw across from him gave him pause.  Viktor was watching him with a troubled expression.  When he saw Yuuri was awake, he wiped the look from his face and replaced it with a gentle smile.

“Morning, love.”

Yuuri hesitated.  “Morning.”  Could he have misread the situation somehow?  Did Viktor regret last night?

Viktor picked up Yuuri’s hand and kissed his wrist in apology.  There was a welt there.  “I’m so sorry, Yuuri.  I should have been more careful.  Perhaps next time we can use a scarf?”

Relief flooded through Yuuri.  He was only worried about his wrists.  Just a few welts—he was a bloody pirate for heaven’s sake!  And he’d said ‘next time’!  Yuuri couldn’t hold back a smile.  “I really don’t mind it.  I kind of like it, in fact.”

Viktor pouted.  “Scarf next time.”

Yuuri laughed.  “Alright, a scarf then.”

They lay staring at each other for a long moment. 

“I never thought I would find you,” Viktor said.  “I...I had begun to believe that my star—our star—was a figment of my imagination.  I followed it once, when I was young.  I stole my Uncle Yakov’s boat and with a skeleton crew of a few friends, I set sail East.  We sailed for ten days.  We sailed right into the eye of a storm that nearly took the life of Chris my first—my best friend. 

“I’d felt...betrayed.  I had naively believed that if I followed the star, it would guide me safely to you.  After that, I never tried to follow it again.  I’m so sorry, if I had, we-”

“No, no,” Yuuri interrupted, planting a kiss on Viktor’s frowning lips.  “It’s probably just as well you didn’t.  I also tried to follow our star, but it must have been while you were on your travels with your Uncle because I couldn’t pin you down no matter how I tried.  But there was one night where I did follow the star to its destination—or I thought I had.  It brought me to the Cove—a tavern at Tempest Bay.  I burst through the doors, looking for my soulmate when I realized...I had no idea how to find them.  I spoke to person after person, hoping for some sort of sign.  Maybe, I don’t know, a ray of starlight shining overhead, or a big glowing arrow that said ‘I’m your soulmate.’” Yuuri laughed.  “But of course nothing like that happened.  It was horrible.  The thought of being so close yet never knowing.  I could be staring my soulmate in the eye and I wouldn’t even know.  So I ended up drinking my depression away, and you can imagine what happened next.”

Viktor smiled.  “Yes I can.”

Yuuri shook his head, laughing.  “Of course, you couldn’t have been there that night.  I must have made a mistake in my navigation, or I just imagined the whole thing.  I can barely remember much of that night anyway, maybe I’d started drinking sooner than I thought.”

“Yuuri, I...” Viktor’s brow was furrowed in thought.  Then he shook his head, as if changing his mind about something, and said, “I’m glad we found each other at last.”

“So am I.”

Yuuri leaned in for a kiss.  It was heaven, morning breath and all.  When they broke apart, Yuuri remembered what Viktor had almost said last night, and what Yuuri wanted to say back.   _I love you._  They were soulmates.  Yuuri could say it.  He _wanted_ to say it.  He brushed Viktor’s hair from his face, and began to say, “Viktor, I-”

A great booming sound blew through their cabin and the whole ship rocked.

Yuuri sat up.  “What the blazes-”

Another crash.  The force of the impact nearly jostled them both out of the bed.  Then came the shouting.  And Yuuri knew what this was.

The Devotion had caught up.

Leaping out of bed, Yuuri got dressed in record time.  “Viktor, listen to me.  Stay in this room and barricade the door behind me.”

“Yuuri, there’s something I need to tell you.”

“If anyone breaks in, hide under the bed.”

“Yuuri-“

“I swear,” Yuuri breathed, pressing his forehead to Viktor’s.  “I will protect you with my life.”  He took one more lingering look at Viktor’s wide-eyed expression before he swept out of the room, locking the door behind him and pocketing the key.

Immediately there was pounding from the other side.  “Yuuri!  Open the door!  Wait!”

 _I’m sorry, Viktor,_ Yuuri thought as he ran to the main deck.  _Stay safe for me._

 

-

 

Out on the deck it was chaos.  Already there was a hole torn in one of their sails and the floor was covered in splintered off wood.  Yuuri picked out his first mate in the swarm of crewmen.

“Phichit!  What’s the damage?”

“It’s not looking good captain,” said Phichit without taking his eyes off the rope he was pulling to adjust the sails.  “They’ve got our broad side, we’re trying to get out of their line but it’s no use.”

Yuuri cursed.  “Do we have a clear shot at them?”

“About to,” Phichit grunted.  “But at this rate the both of us’ll end up in Davy Jones’ Locker.”

“We’ve no choice but to stand our ground and hope they give up before we do.  Ready the canons!”

“Readying the canons!” several voices echoed back.  It was a grim battle.  Canon fire rang through the ears of Yuuri and his men.  Water splashed on deck, soaking them down to their stockings. 

The Devotion had blown a few good holes in the Hasetsumaru, but Yuuri’s gut told him they were holding back.  It made sense, of course.  They were here not only for revenge but to retrieve their precious cargo.  They weren’t going to try and sink the ship while the Duke was still on board. 

Yuuri, however, had no such reservations.  They fired at the Devotion until it was forced to turn away, breaking its line of fire.  But the position it was now brought the sterns of the two ships dangerously close.  Prime position for boarding.

All at once, a hoard of Silvertail’s men swung onto the deck of the Hasetsumaru.  With a roar, Yuuri’s men rushed forward, guns and cutlasses drawn.  Yuuri shouted out orders as he himself engaged with three different pirates at once, all trying to get a hit in on the Captain.  Yuuri drew both of his swords and spun away from one of his attackers, parrying another.  Making use of his legendary footwork, Yuuri managed to knock one of the two overboard.  He disarmed and knocked out the second. 

Now he only had the last to deal with, the runt of the group.  Yuuri sized him up.  He was a youngster, maybe fourteen or fifteen, and looked terribly familiar.  He must have been on the Devotion when Yuuri had rescued Viktor.  He didn’t look as if he belonged in a pirate crew.  His soft blond hair fell haphazardly out of his bandana, and his slim face was surprisingly free of scars or dirt.  Behind the murderous glare, Yuuri could see a spark of fear in his green eyes. 

Yuuri decided to have pity on the little urchin.

“Stand down, lad.  Give up your sword and I’ll let you run on back to your ship.” 

The urchin spat on the floor.

“Kiss my ass, Captain Loser.”

Well, Yuuri had tried.

The kid surged forward and slashed his cutlass down with impressive speed.  Yuuri just about managed to parry and darted back, the urchin in pursuit.  His footwork was precise, his stance that of a trained fencer, not a swashbuckler.

“You’ve got good form,” Yuuri complimented.

“Oh my god, shut up!”

The kid was too impulsive, too angry.  Though Yuuri suspected that in a few years the urchin just might be able to pose a challenge, Yuuri’s years of experience won out over his speed and power.  Yuuri danced around the boy, twirling his swords in a mocking manner that was sure to...ah yes.  The boy was fairly crimson with anger now.  He roared and bounded headfirst towards his enemy, an attack that Yuuri easily sidestepped. 

He twisted the boy’s arm behind his back, forcing him to drop his sword.

“Unhand me, you swine!”

“Swine?  Are you a pirate or not?”  Yuuri shook his head.  “Nevermind that—tell me where to find your captain.”

The urchin looked at him like he had two heads.  “What the hell are you blathering on about?”

“Tell.  Me.  Where.  He.  Is.”

The urchin sneered.  “Why are you asking me, don’t you know?”

Yuuri brought the tip of his sword to the kid’s neck.  He wasn’t actually going to slit his throat, but the kid didn’t know that.  “ _Where?”_

The urchin’s face paled before a determined look hardened his face.  He then provided Yuuri with a location that was quite vulgar and not at all helpful.  Yuuri shook his head in annoyance and ordered one of his men to take the urchin to the brig.  He’d deal with him later.

“Captain!”

Yuuri whirled around, swords drawn.  Sara was running toward him, darting around the fighting pirates with ease.  Her face was grim.  “Captain—your quarters, they’ve broken in!”

Yuuri’s heart stopped.  _Viktor_.

He ran.

He managed to make it to the corridor that led to his rooms.  To his horror, the door was laying on the floor of the hall, broken and splintered.  His heart leapt into his throat.  He barely made it a step toward the room, when he felt the point of a sword at his back.

“Well, well,” purred an unfamiliar voice from behind, “If it isn’t the infamous Eros himself.  Drop your swords or you will find yourself experiencing the penetration of mine.  And this time, that is not a double-entendre.”

Yuuri tried not to let his fear—or confusion—show as he reluctantly let his swords fall to the ground.  “What have you done with him?”

The blade at his back pressed in painfully.  “Rescued him from your devilish clutches, of course.”

“What?”

“Now the question remains: what we should do with you and your crew?”

“Your grievance is with me, leave them out of it.”

“Ah ah,” Yuuri got the feeling that the man was wagging a finger in the air behind him.  “You _and_ your crew broke the sacred Agreement of Peace at Tempest Bay and led us on this godforsaken chase for the past five days.  Now I’m not a man of violence,” Yuuri snorted, “but how would it look if we let this stand with no blood spilled?  You’re the ones who started the war.  And now you must face the consequences.”

As he spoke, five other unfamiliar men surrounded Yuuri.  The fact that so many of them had made it this far meant that things on deck must have taken a turn for the worst. 

“Now what shall it be, Monsieur Eros?  Hm?  The plank?  Too old fashioned?  No, I think the firing squad will be more merciful.”

“That’s enough, Chris!”

Yuuri gasped.  Viktor was suddenly in between him and the pirates.

“All of you, stand down!”

To Yuuri’s shock, they did.  “Viktor, get away from them,” Yuuri tried to reach him, but the sword at his back dug deeper, stopping him in his tracks.  Viktor stepped closer to him, but seemed afraid to touch him.

“I’m sorry I tried to protect you, I-“

“Shhh, Yuuri, no, no,” Viktor whispered, not looking him in the eye.  “This is all my fault.  I thought.  I thought I had more time.”

“Viktor,” said the voice from behind Yuuri, “we cannot let this offense go unpunished.  Their crimes are clear.  If we do nothing, how will it look?”

Viktor stepped away from Yuuri.  Something wasn’t right.  The way Viktor was standing, back straight, unafraid.  The way he wasn’t meeting Yuuri’s eye.  The way the other pirates seemed to listen to him, as if the opinion of a prisoner mattered.

“I don’t care how it will look.”

“But the Agreement-“

“Hang the Agreement!”

“But Viktor!”

Yuuri was about to tell Viktor to stop talking, stop antagonizing the man with the sword when he felt the tip of it leave his back.  This was his chance.  He tried to signal to Viktor to stay close, but Viktor was still avoiding his gaze.  There was no time for this.

Yuuri whirled around and drew his gun, pointing it between the startled eyes of the man behind him.  “Nobody move!”

Everyone stilled.  The sound of celebration reached their ears from the deck.  The man—Chris—smirked.

“I think that means we win, Eros.”

Yuuri cocked his gun.  That wiped the smirk from Chris’ face.

“I invoke parley.  Let me speak to your Captain.”

Chris tilted his head to look behind Yuuri.

“What do you say, Captain?”

Captain.  Silvertail.  He was _here_.  On Yuuri’s ship.

Viktor stepped forward and inserted himself between Yuuri’s gun and Chris.

“No more blood will be spilled today.”

“Viktor!” Yuuri sputtered.  “Move aside!”

“Captain!” Chris exclaimed, looking _right at Viktor_.

Captain.  Yuuri waited.  Surely some other man would step up to take control of the situation, surely the real Silvertail would also step out from behind Yuuri and answer Chris’ call.

He waited.  Nothing happened.

No...

It couldn’t be...

Yuuri’s ears rang.  _Captain.  Captain.  Captain._

Yuuri looked at Viktor, pleading.  But Viktor’s face was a mask of regret.

“Yuuri...” he said softly.  “I didn’t want you to find out this way.”

“No...”  the gun in Yuuri’s hand trembled, the barrel pointed at Viktor’s chest.  “No, you’re my...my...”

Viktor drew in a fortifying breath and said, “I am the Captain of the Queen’s Devotion, Viktor Nikiforov.”  Here, he finally met Yuuri’s eye.  The once familiar blue now seemed strange and distant.  “But I’m better known by the name Silvertail.”

Yuuri took a step back.  Millions of puzzle pieces came together in his head. 

It was so obvious.  How could he have been such a fool?  His head spun.

“Yuuri?”

“Get off my ship.”

Viktor reared back as if slapped.  “I...”

“Take your men with you and get off my ship and we will pretend none of this ever happened.”

Chris looked at Viktor, clearly confused.  “Captain?”

Viktor, still meeting Yuuri’s glare with a solemn look of his own, briskly nodded his head.  “Chris, tell everyone to draw back.  And there will be no more violence, do you hear?”

“But, Captain-“

“That is an _order_.  Are you questioning a direct order?”

Viktor didn’t shout but his voice became cold as ice, his back firm as steel.  This was who he really was.  Silvertail. 

Yuuri watched numbly as one by one the pirates in the hall left, shouting orders to their brethren.  Finally it was only Chris, Viktor, and Yuuri left.  Yuuri hadn’t lowered his gun.

“It’s time to leave, Viktor,” said Chris.

Viktor nodded brusquely and held Yuuri’s gaze.  “Yuuri, I know this is hard to believe right now but I am truly sorry.  I never meant to hurt you.”

Yuuri jerked his head, unable to speak to this, this _stranger_.

“I promise you, we will find each other again.”

And with one last regretful look, Viktor was gone.  They were all gone.  It wasn’t until a confused and bloody Phichit came to find him that he finally lowered his gun.

 

-

 

Yuuri was quiet as he listened to Phichit relay the damages.  The ship was, quite frankly, falling apart and they needed to make port as soon as possible.  They had also filled every bed in Seung Gil’s infirmary, but lucked out with no casualties.  It seemed Silvertail’s men even extended their no-unnecessary-kills policy to other pirates.  As bitter as Yuuri felt about their defeat, he was far more grateful that his mistakes had not cost the lives of any of his men or women.

Phichit was the only one Yuuri told about Viktor’s deceit.  Predictably, he was mortally offended on Yuuri’s behalf and ranted on and on for hours about how much of a lying, no-good, rotten scoundrel Viktor ‘Silvertail’ Nikiforov was.  Yuuri greatly appreciated the loyalty.

By the time they made port at Russo, Yuuri was beginning to come to terms with everything.  So Viktor was not, in fact, a young Duke, but a fearsome pirate.  The same pirate who had kidnapped a young Duke and lied to Yuuri and given Yuuri the humiliating name Eros.  The very same pirate who was Yuuri’s soulmate.  So what did that mean?

Well, for starters it meant he would have to go to Minako and Lilia empty handed. 

But more importantly, it meant that Yuuri was soulmates with a lying, no-good, rotten scoundrel.

Yuuri thought hard about it as he watched Minako approach them on the docks.  Was Viktor really as terrible as all that?  Yes, he was a liar, yes he was fairly rotten—but they were pirates.  That sort of came with the territory.  And the more he thought about the night he’d ‘rescued’ Viktor, the night it all began, the more he wondered to himself if he wouldn’t have done the same thing.

Well, the lying part.  Lying that you were the captive Duke until you could get the drop on your ‘rescuers’ was certainly something Yuuri would do.  Not flirt with an enemy captain, befriend his crew, and then, and then... Yuuri blushed when he thought about what else they got up to. 

He had to stop thinking about this.  Viktor was a scoundrel.  That was that.

“Yuuri!”  Minako cried, throwing her arms around him, “Welcome to Russo!”

“Hi, Minako,” Yuuri said into her rum-scented hair.  “How are things at the tavern?”

They caught up for a few good minutes before a carriage came down the bridge above the docks, signaling the arrival of the Duchess.

“Time to face the music, Yuuri.  I notice you are distinctly Duke-less.”

Yuuri sighed.  “It’s a long and complicated story.”

Minako threw her arm around Yuuri’s shoulders, chuckling.  “Sounds fun!  You’ll tell me all about it over a pint later, won’t you?”  It wasn’t a question.  Yuuri groaned at the thought of his hangover-to-be.

They made their way up to the street where they met the Duchess, who stood beneath a parasol.  “Duchess Lilia Baranovskaya,” Minako said. “Allow me to introduce you to my, ah, acquaintance, Captain Yuuri Katsuki.”

Yuuri nodded his head in respectful greeting and was surprised to see the Duchess nod back (rather than recoiling or sneering or calling the authorities, like all the other nobles Yuuri had come to know).

 He suddenly remembered the story of Yakov the low-born pirate.  He wondered if there was any truth to that.  Probably not.

“Duchess.”

“Captain Katsuki.”

“It’s a pleasure.”

“Hmph.  We shall see about that.”  She raised a brow.  “You’ve come alone.  I take it that means you were unsuccessful?”

Yuuri, despite being a fearsome pirate Captain, found himself shrinking under her scrutinizing glare.  “Um, yes.  I mean, not exactly.  We were able to, ah, engage Silvertail and the Devotion.  But I’m sorry.  We could not rescue your nephew.”

Lilia shut her eyes for a moment, letting the information sink in.  When she opened them again, she was composed.  “Have you any leads?”

“Yes, we do actually.  A prisoner.  A young member of Silvertail’s crew who may have valuable information.”

Lilia seemed pleased at this.  “Very well, have him brought to the house and I shall question him myself,” she said as she climbed back into her carriage.

Yuuri hesitated, because it seemed like she wanted him to _follow_ her, which didn’t seem right.  “Um, what about—aren’t you going to want him handed over to the authorities?”

She rolled her eyes, “Those useless men?  Bah!  Now stop dilly-dallying.  Get in!  I do not have all day.

Yuuri scrambled to obey, telling his men to send the urchin prisoner to the house after them.  He and a snickering Minako entered the carriage and were driven to the Duchess’ home, a stately manor decorated with enough expensive works of art to keep Yuuri and his crew in their cups for the rest of their lives.  He could not fathom how Minako, his mentor in thievery, managed to be so close to such opulence on a regular basis without succumbing to temptation.  And as Yuuri watched her slip a crystal ashtray into her pocket with a wink, he realized she didn’t.

The three of them, Yuuri, Minako, and the Duchess, waited in her sitting room for the prisoner to arrive.  Yuuri felt very underdressed as he sipped his tea.  It was served in the finest china.  As they waited, the Duchess questioned Yuuri thoroughly enough that he was beginning to wish he _had_ been taken to the authorities instead.

“What condition was the Devotion in when last you saw her?”

“Um, not very good.  We put a fair few holes in their starboard side.”

“You fool!  You might have harmed my nephew.”

“No, no, ma’am.  I mean, I guess anything is possible.  But honestly, they did more damage to us.”

“Hmph.  And what can you tell me of Silvertail?  The story claims he is a man of honor, is that true?”

Yuuri wanted to say, _No, he’s a lying scoundrel,_ but then he remembered the way Viktor had told his first mate not to hurt any of his crew and couldn’t bring himself to lie.

“The rumors are true, yes.”

“Do you believe my nephew has been ill-treated?”

“No,” said Yuuri honestly.  “I don’t believe he has.”

Lilia did not seem convinced.  “This Silvertail.  Not many have crossed him and lived.  But you have.  What can you tell me about the man?”

“Not much, I’m afraid,” Yuuri said as he simultaneously thought, _I could tell you there’s a birthmark on his left-_

“Er, he’s younger than I thought he would be.  Perhaps close to my age or older.  He has long silver hair, which he often keeps in a braid-“

“The origin of his nickname, I’m sure.”

“Er, yes.”  Stupid, stupid Yuuri.  How obvious had it _been?_   “He also has blue eyes, the color of a frozen sea.  Pale skin with the slightest hint of freckles from being under the sun.  His disposition is surprisingly gentle.  His mannerisms are odd, but endearing.  For example, he does this thing where he takes a lock of his own hair and chews on it when he’s deep in thought.  At first glance, it seems a disgusting habit, but it’s actually quite ador-“

Minako coughed.  Both she and the Duchess were looking at Yuuri strangely.

“Is there...anything _else_ you’d like to tell me,” Lilia asked slowly.

“Um.  Well.  He may or may not have a pet poodle.”

Lilia’s eyes narrowed.

“And what did you say this man’s name was?”

“I didn’t.  But I believe it was, um, Viktor.”  Yuuri winced.  The name still made his belly swoop a little.  He was a scoundrel, Yuuri reminded himself.  A no good scoundrel, unworthy of belly swoops.

Lilia seemed to go still at the name.  Her hand, still holding her teacup halfway to her mouth, froze in the air.  “Did you say Viktor?”

“Yes...?”

“Viktor _Nikiforov?”_

“Yes, how did you know,”  Lilia’s teacup was still frozen in place.  Minako looked between the two of them in confusion.  “Wait—do you _know_ him?”

Lilia pressed her lips together until they turned white.

“Viktor said he had an uncle named Yakov, is that true-“

Lilia set her teacup down so hard the tea splashed all over her expensive coffee table.  “If you’ll both excuse me a moment.”  And then, rigid as a broomstick, she got up and left the room.  Yuuri looked at Minako, who only shrugged.  From another room, they could hear muffled cursing and the sound of the finest china breaking.

“Huh,” Minako said, taking a sip of her tea.

“Huh,” Yuuri agreed and left it at that.

The Duchess had still not returned by the time Sara and Phichit arrived.  They had their little urchin prisoner in tow.  And the short time in the brig did not seem to have dampened his temper at all.

“I’ll cut you both down and feed your guts to the fishes,” he was saying as they frog marched him into the sitting room.  His furious gaze landed on Yuuri.  “And you!  I want a rematch, pig!”

Yuuri examined his prisoner.  “How have you been treated?  Have you eaten breakfast?”

The urchin huffed.  “I was treated just fine, and yes, I ate already.  All you losers are so soft it’s embarrassing.”

Yuuri shrugged, “Not any softer than your Captain.”

The urchin rolled his eyes.  “Don’t remind me.  Why’d you kidnap the old man, anyway?  Seems a roundabout way to get to me.”

“Get to you?”  Yuuri was having déjà vu.

The urchin folded his arms and stared down his nose at Yuuri, “That was the whole point of this, wasn’t it?  To ‘rescue’ me?”

“Um,” Yuuri said stupidly in the same moment that Minako said, “Hey, you look familiar,” and the Duchess walked back in the room.

“Forgive me, now where were we-“ Lilia stopped in her tracks at the sight of the urchin, hand flying to her mouth.  “YURA?!”

The urchin (Yura?) seemed to deflate.  His angry scowl turned into a sheepish grimace.  “Hi, Aunt Lilia.”

“Um,” Yuuri said again as he watched the Duchess pull the urchin—Yura— _the Duke_ —into an emotional embrace. 

Then she snapped up and twisted his ear.  “You little fool!”  She then dived into a tirade in a language Yuuri didn’t know, pulling Yura from the room.  Yura looked back at pirates in the sitting room with pleading eyes as he was dragged away.

 _Sorry kid_ , Yuuri thought numbly.  _We can’t rescue you this time.  Because we already did.  Apparently._

Yuuri stared at Sara and Phichit, who looked equally shocked.

“Does this mean we get the reward money?” Sara asked.

 

-

 

They did get the reward money.  The Duchess was so grateful for their help, in fact, that she invited Yuuri to stay at the manor while the Hasetsumaru was under repair.    Yuuri, of course, accepted the generous offer.  There were plenty of ashtrays to go around.

The ships’ repairs would take a few weeks, so Yuuri found himself spending more and more time at the manor (mostly to avoid the dangers of Minako’s tavern).  While he was there, he was kept company by the young Duke, who he discovered had _not_ been kidnapped, but had instead begged his cousin Viktor to take him with him on his pirate ship.  And who pestered Yuuri for a rematch until Yuuri relented and joined Yura in his daily fencing lessons.  Yuuri only lost half of the time.  The kid really would make a good pirate one day.

Yuuri was alone in the fencing room when there was a knock on the doors leading to the balcony.  He took a deep breath.  He’d been expecting this.

“Come in,” he said, picking up his borrowed épée.

 

“Hello, Yuuri,” said a hesitant voice.

“Viktor,” Yuuri greeted, turning around.  “You look well.”

He really did.  No longer in borrowed clothes or a silk robes, Viktor was all Captain Silvertail, from his sweeping magenta coat to his flamboyant, feathered hat, which he removed respectfully as he stepped into the room.

“As do you,” he returned.  “I hope I’m not disturbing you.”

“Hm.  We’ll see.  What are you doing here?”

“You never did get your parley,” Viktor smiled ruefully.

Yuuri picked up the spare épée and tossed it to Viktor.  “I changed my mind about the parley,” he said, and charged.

Viktor caught the épée and parried easily, eyebrows raised.  “I take it you’re still angry.”

“What makes you think that?” Yuuri asked, lunging.

“I have a sixth sense about these things,” Viktor said as he answered Yuuri’s attack with his own.

Yuuri retreated, then bounced forward again.  They went back and forth like this for a while, getting a feel for each other’s movements.  Yuuri admired Viktor’s stance which was, like Yura’s, polished and correct in every way.  However, unlike Yura, there was an ease about the way he held himself, a casual set to his shoulders that spoke of years of experience and a calm mind.

His reflexes were sharp—probably sharper than Yuuri’s as he couldn’t seem to get a decent hit in.  But one thing Yuuri did have the advantage in was footwork.  He feinted, then lunged forward, striking Viktor in the arm.

“Point to me.”

Viktor shook out his arm, grinning.  “You are light on your feet, as expected, Captain Yuuri.”

Yuuri nodded, accepting the compliment.  He returned to en garde position and said, “You said you were here to parley, so talk.”

“There are a lot of misunderstandings I need to clear up.”

“And whose fault is that?”  Yuuri took the offense again and went on attack.

Viktor backed up, narrowly avoiding another hit.  “All mine, I know.  And I am truly sorry, Yuuri.  I meant to tell you, but I wasn’t sure how you would react.  You could have thrown me overboard for all I knew.  And then we saw our star and I, well, I got carried away.”

Yuuri snorted.  “What I don’t understand is why you went along with it in the first place,” he said, parrying a series of strikes with some effort.  Viktor was unbelievably fast.  “When I found you in your quarters, and your men came to save you, why did you not just go with them?”

“That’s a good question.  I can see why you would be confused.  Especially knowing what I do now about your drinking habits.”

“What do you mean?”

Viktor parried a volley of Yuuri’s attacks this time.  He began, “I suppose you believe that night was the first time we met, but in reality the last time I’d seen you before then was at the Cove.  Nearly a year ago.”

Yuuri knew what this was leading to.  He’d connected the dots on his own by now.  “That’s when we met.  I was looking for my soulmate and got drunk when I couldn’t find you.  And then _you_ found _me._ ”

Viktor smiled at Yuuri calling him his soulmate.  He lunged and got a hit on Yuuri’s left leg.  “Yes.  I happened upon you when you were already deeply drunk and pulling everyone around you into a dance.  By the time you’d gotten to me, you were shirtless and made quite the image.  We danced all night.  I had never had so much fun with such a beautiful man in my life.  Oh, and Chris was there, too.  You two danced while stripped down to your underthings.”

“Oh god.”

“Yes, he was quite amused when I explained the whole situation to him and the fact that you didn’t remember anything from that night.”

“No longer wants me dead, then?”  Yuuri got in a point on Viktor’s right arm.

“On the contrary, he’s suggested that the only way to save face after your breach of the Agreement is to form an official alliance.  I’m not sure how that solves anything, but I wasn’t about to argue.” Viktor thrust his sword to the left and down.  Yuuri twirled his own sword around it until they met in the middle.  “As I was saying, you made quite the impression on me.  The way you moved, the freedom in your laugh, and, god, your eyes... I was enchanted.  I wanted desperately to see you once more.  The feeling seemed mutual.  And so we promised we’d meet again at the Cove in a month’s time.”

Yuuri blanched.  “I’m sorry, I don’t remember.”

“I was quite distraught when, month after month, you never showed.  I thought maybe you had been mocking me.”

“Viktor, I’d _never_ -“

“Yes, I know that now.  I know _you_ now.  But back then, all I’d known of you was the daring playboy who’d swept me and half the tavern off their feet.  Who exuded passion and lust from every pore, who could kill a man with a look.”  Yuuri was so embarrassed he forgot to block and Viktor tapped him lightly in the arm.  “My point.”

“You must have been disappointed,” Yuuri muttered, “When you met me again.”

“Oh, I was,” Viktor said, sinking Yuuri’s heart.  “But not how you think!  I was disappointed that you couldn’t remember, and that you had no idea who I even was.  But when I got to know you, the _real_ you—not the godlike Eros—I found that you were kind, sweet, that you loved your crew, that you had a code of honor so few pirates do.  And that you loved dogs.  Far from disappointed, I found myself more enraptured than ever.”

Yuuri blushed to the tips of his ears.  “This still doesn’t answer my original question.  Why did you go with me that first night?”

“There are two reasons.  The first is, quite simply, I was curious.  Curious about why a pirate such as yourself could possibly want to rescue a Duke.  Blindingly curious about why you thought _I_ was that Duke, as if you’d never met me. 

“And the second reason?  Well, it was _you._   After months of searching, here you were, in my chambers, demanding I run off with you.  I wasn’t about to let you slip away through my fingers again.  I would have gone anywhere you wanted.”

Yuuri managed another hit on Viktor after his speech, and offered in apology, “I felt a similar way as…all of that.  After I’d gotten to know you.”

Viktor looked surprised.  “Really?”

Yuuri exploded in exasperation.  “Viktor, you’re _you_.  I mean—you love dogs even more than I do!  And you’re the most beautiful man I’ve ever known.  And the way you look at me—I just.  You make me feel as if we’re the only two around for miles and— _obviously_ , I like you.  More than like you.  You can stop me any time now.”

Viktor crossed their swords and stepped in close.  “I was so overjoyed when I realized your star was the same as mine.”

Yuuri stepped in even closer.  “You mean you didn’t know?”

Viktor huffed a laugh, “I had no idea.  I told you, I’d stopped looking.  I didn’t even know our star was above the Cove that night we met.”

“You didn’t know we were soulmates and yet you waited for me all this time?”

“I told you there were benefits to be found in waiting.”

Yuuri’s eyes widened in understanding.  “You wanted to wait until you told me the truth.”

“Yes.  I cannot express to you how sorry I am about lying to you.  But I’m not sorry that those lies brought us together.”

Yuuri dropped his sword, and Viktor followed.  “It seems like I win.”

Viktor tipped his head in defeat.

“And my prize?” Yuuri asked.

“Whatever you want.”

“Hm,” Yuuri considered.  “I’m still angry with you for letting it go on so long.  I don’t like feeling like a fool, you know.”

Viktor nodded meekly.

“But I suppose that I might let you make it up to me in time.  It may be a _long_ time before I’m satisfied, however.”

“I’m good at waiting.”

Yuuri took their swords and put them away.  He then stole a quick kiss from the lips he’d missed so these past few days.  “We’re soulmates.  We’ve got plenty of time.”

 

-

 

Later, after they were both sated, Yuuri lay his head on Viktor’s chest and sighed contentedly. “You did say whatever I want.”

Viktor chuckled breathlessly from where he was still tied to the bed.  He muttered something about Eros.  Yuuri slapped him playfully.  “Don’t call me that in bed.  It sounds ridiculous.”

“Can I call you Eros anywhere else?”

“Hmm, yes.  But only you get to call me that.  I want a new pirate name.”

“Maybe Agape?  Because you’re so full of love.”

“You don’t get to pick the names, you’re terrible at it.”

“I’m not!  Yura’s the worst, he wants to be known as the Sea Tiger.”

“Are you still taking him with you?  The Duchess was beside herself.”

“I’ll leave a note this time.”

“Viktor.”

“Alright, I’ll tell him he’s not allowed to come until he’s grown up a little.  Maybe finish his education first, take advantage of the opportunities he has that we never did.” 

“Good.”

Viktor smiled down at the pirate lightly dozing on his chest.  “Yuuri?  I’m curious.  What would you, a pirate, have done with a Duke as a soulmate?”

“Hmmm,” Yuuri pretended to think about it.  “I’d kidnap you from your bed in the middle of the night and whisk you off to sea.”

Viktor mock gasped.  “How indecent of you!”

Yuuri chuckled and leaned up for another kiss.

“Well.  I _am_ a pirate.”


End file.
